Category Archives: Health

A few days ago I visited different forums about carpet cleaning. And one of the topics that catch my attention is this “How often should you hire a professional carpet technician to have your carpet cleaned?” Some of the answers surprised me because there are people who let their carpets untreated for more than a year. Someone even admitted that they haven’t called a professional carpet cleaner ever since their carpet was installed four years ago. Because they vacuum their carpet once or twice a week they thought that it is properly “maintained”.

But let me share with you here the dangers caused by dirty carpets. And when we say “dirty carpets” it doesn’t necessarily mean carpets with a huge stain on it.”Dirty carpet” can also mean carpets that are regularly vacuumed and with no evident stains, meaning it can be those carpets that are “seemingly clean”. Because carpet cleaning is actually beyond what our eyes can see. Here are some of the reasons why a dirty carpet turns out to be a serious health hazard.

Fatigue & Weak Immune System

Long exposure to the unclean environment directly affects stress level and can increase it to a certain level where your immune system is weakened which makes you more susceptible to sickness.

Allergies

Dirty carpets make the perfect breeding ground for dust mites and other microscopic pests, which are the leading cause of allergic reactions. These allergies can manifest as mild symptoms like sneezing and headaches or even fatal anaphylactic reactions in severe cases.

Respiratory Problems

Dust mites thrive on bacteria and fungi, making dirty carpets the perfect breeding ground for them. When inhaled, they can cause flu-like symptoms and other respiratory problems. In other instances, this could also trigger asthma attacks.

Bacteria

SALMONELLA – This bacteria is often spread to your carpet by tracking in faeces, from people and our animals. Salmonella infections can result in fever and abdominal cramping.

CAMPYLOBACTER – Campylobacter is commonly found in moist or damp carpets. Campylobacter infections cause an illness called campylobacteriosis, which can lead to diarrhoea or dysentery syndrome.

E COLI – Perhaps the most notorious bacteria out there, E. coli is not to be taken lightly. E Coli can cause diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and fever. In more severe cases, it can lead to bloody diarrhoea, dehydration, or kidney failure.

Microbes

One of the most dangerous microbes that can thrive in dirty carpets is Mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are made up of different types of moulds. Exposure to mycotoxins can weaken the immune system and cause different health problems such as stomach infection, allergies, and respiratory diseases.

Virus

Norovirus is a contagious stomach and intestinal virus. It can survive in carpets for an extended period of time.

Kawasaki Syndrome

This is an illness that can cause physical disabilities and severe health issues. It occurs when people breathe in bacteria and chemical toxins found in the carpet that adhere to their lungs.

Now, will you still take for granted carpet cleaning? We hope not. A regular vacuum cleaning is good to maintain the cleanliness of the carpet’s surface. But a deep carpet cleaning like the one that uses Hot Water Extraction Method at least once every six months will give you peace of mind that none of those mentioned intruders will thrive underneath your carpet and jeopardise the health of your family.

Springtime is one of the best season to start anew as parks and meadows turn into greens you can literally feel that fresh vibe is in the air. And while the weather is at its best homeowners often find this season suited for that one-off rinse of their entire home. And though most of us want to indulge in spring cleaning not everyone have enough time for it.

But not having enough time doesn’t mean we’ll give up the idea of spring cleaning. Here are some simple and practical steps you can implement to de-clutter your home and have it spring fresh clean.

#1 Keep, Give Away and Throw Away

There is a pretty simple rule to follow to de-clutter your home with unnecessary items you keep, it is called six months rule. Identify the things that you haven’t used for the past six months except the seasonal items and clothing. Once you identified these items you can not decide whether to give them away to someone who can use them or you can throw them away. You might be surprised that you are keeping too much items that are not necessary.

#2 Overhaul Your Closet

You might fondly collecting different outfits depending on trends and season, and organizing your wardrobe might be difficult challenge. But we can simplify this challenging task by breaking down your wonderful array of outfits into clothes into seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

And finally you can now set aside the clothes that are out of season and organize the ones that are suitable on your day-to-day use. You can now arrange your wardrobe by color to make sure that you can easily find your favorite pieces.

#3 Deep Carpet Cleaning

Carpet cleaning is one of the vital part of spring cleaning as we all know it’s not everyday that we take that extra care for our carpet. A deep clean will help restore the carpet’s colour and texture. And it also make our home safer for our family as deep cleaning specially hot water extraction method takes care of the dust mites that are very harmful to our health.

#4 Clean Your Oven While Sleeping

Oven cleaning can be tricky and intimidating especially in a very busy kitchen. But believe it or not one of the most effective solution to sticky oven is also hidden in our kitchen. Bicarbonate soda is like a magic dust for oven cleaning. Just mix water, bicarbonate soda and small amount of dish-washing liquid in a spray bottle. Spray the solution on the interior surfaces of your oven, avoiding the heating elements, leave it overnight and wipe clean the next day. If any soda remains, spray with vinegar to remove it. But of course, there are stains that requires more advance approach so leave that to experts like Perfect Clean technicians.

#5 Freshen Up Your Bed

I know how comforting it is to sleep in your bed with a familiar scent but a soft and fresh duvet is like a bonus on your way to lalaland. And you can achieve it with the help of our magic dust – bicarbonate soda – and vinegar. Soak your bed sheets with your bicarbonate soda and vinegar solution to get rid of any lingering odours. Rinse them thoroughly to remove the vinegar smell before using.

You can also use our magic dust to deodorise your mattress. Sprinkle them over your bed and leave for up to eight hours, then vacuum up any excess powder.

#6 Make Your Bathroom Spotless Overnight

This may sound like a tagline of an scam but unlike those empty promises intended to trick you, this one is doable. Limescale is notoriously difficult to remove and a thought of it makes it seems impossible to clean your bathroom while sleeping.

But how it is done is pretty simple, all you need to do is spray vinegar and leave it to get to work. For shower-heads, simply fill a bag with white vinegar and tie it around the head, leave it to break down the limescale overnight. To avoid smelling strongly of vinegar, make sure to ventilate your bathroom where possible.

Now if you still find it hard to complete your spring cleaning all by yourself Perfect Clean is always ready to back you up, we’re just a call away and we’ll help you accomplish what you think is impossible, satisfaction guaranteed!

Summer is almost here and on 29th March, all the clocks went back an hour and we were all left with an extra hour of daylight on our hands. Yes, we may have lost out on some sleep but it isn’t all that bad considering that we have an extra hour of sunshine.

We have prepared a list of things that can be done with this extra hour and none of it involves hiding away inside your home while you could be enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

Enjoy the sunset with your partner or family

In our fast paced lives there are several things that we miss out on but with an extra hour you might just have time to stop and admire the beautiful sunset in your city. If you can’t really stop because of all the errands that you are trying to finish, you can still check out the beautiful sunset while you do so.

If you can do try to set aside half an hour to just….well, admiring the sunset.

2. Explore a park

There are several parks all across Great Britain but we, with all the craziness in our lives, tend to forget to look at the beauty that surrounds us. With an extra hour on your hands, you can maybe round up all of your children and head to the nearest park to smell the roses if you will or watch your children hop around to catch a butterfly.

3. Catch up on some gardening

Anyone with a garden or even just a couple of plants knows that you can never be done with gardening. It always requires a trim here or there and some maintenance to be done. For those of you who enjoy gardening know very well that it requires time but mostly requires sunlight. So this extra hour of sunlight will come as a lovely welcome to catch up with some gardening.

4. Hit the playground

If you have kids and are also trying to hold down a full time job, it is quite possible that you do not get to watch your kids play that often. It is a joy of a different kind to watch your children play and now, as I have said several times before, with an extra hour of daylight you can accompany your children down to the playground and watch them play to their heart’s content and yours.

5.Visit a farmer’s market

Summer brings forth farmer’s market all over the country and if there is one near you then you may want to check it out and grab some fresh produce and maybe even some flowers. With the fading light you can catch the tail end as the crowd dies down. The fact that there may be free samples is just an added advantage.

The above mentioned options are just some of the many things that you can do. You can make up your own list with the things that you love to do.

Do you often feel bloated? Do you often find your feet completely swollen? Well, in either case, it is pretty evident that you are suffering from water retention or fluid retention, which is medically known as edema.

Water retention refers to the high accumulation of water and fluid in your body tissues or more specifically, your circulatory system. This generally occurs in your feet and legs, but it can also affect your capillaries, heart and kidneys. For ladies, water retention is also a part of the premenstrual syndrome which is caused due to a series of hormonal changes. The constant hormonal fluctuations cause the rise of fluids in their kidneys. Following are a list of causes and remedies of water retention. Read on, for a better take on this ailment.

What causes water retention?

Water retention is caused by a series of factors which include:

High intake of sodium.

Poor circulation.

Lethargic lifestyle and lack of exercises.

Deficiencies in the vitamin content.

Stress, tension and fatigue.

Exposure to extremely hot weather and high altitudes.

Pregnancy and menstruation (Water retention is a premenstrual syndrome).

High blood pressure.

Heart and kidney ailments.

Liver ailments and thyroid disorders.

Apart from the mentioned problems, water retention may also be caused due to allergies, liver ailments, chronic lung disease, oral contraceptives and venous insufficiency. Venous insufficiency is a condition where an individual experiences serious problems in the blood flow from the veins to the legs and back again in the heart.

What happens when you are affected by water retention?

Water retention generally causes puffiness and swelling in the affected areas of your body. It might also cause your joints to be stiff which in turn would lead to difficulty in walking. Weight change is also a common effect of water retention. You might suddenly gain weight due to this ailment. Apart from that, a constant bloated feeling, high blood pressure and increased pulse rate are also some of the common effects of water retention.

How can you prevent water retention?

Water retention might be a serious ailment, but it also comes with a series of natural remedies. Take a look.

Take parsley tea regularly

Parsley is a common remedy for water retention as it comes with excellent diuretic properties. You can always take a cup of parsley tea to reduce the retention of fluids. Take two teaspoons of parsley leaves (dried) and prepare a cup of tea with it. Drink it thrice a day to reduce the water retention in your body. You can also make a drink of parsley and lemon juice, and drink it regularly for great results.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice works wonders in flushing out the excess fluids in your body. Blend two tablespoons of lemon juice and a dash of honey in a cup of warm water. Drink this solution daily for two weeks to reduce the water retention.

Apart from this, Dandelion, Fennel seeds and nettle also can work wonders in preventing and reducing water retention.

One cup of coffee can keep you active for the rest of the morning. Well, millions across the globe would agree to this and they most definitely believe that their cup of coffee is the only way they can stay active for the rest of the morning. However, that is not completely true because there are many others that are not fond of coffee and they don’t drink coffee to stay away and to wake up every morning. So, how do you actually wake up without that daily dose of coffee? Well, here are some options that you can try and you will find that it works.

Cold Water Shower

Cold water showers are the best if you want to get rid of that weariness in your body soon after you wake up. It certainly seems like a terrible idea, but warm water bath can make you feel lethargic and more relaxed because it soothes the muscles in a way. On the other hand, cold water shower can get rid of all the fatigue instantly. If you are addicted to having a warm water bath you can start that way but gradually try cold water and see if that helps you.

Eat a Fruit

Fruits are good for health and it works better than a cup of coffee. Hence, you can chomp on an apple or a banana or oranges if you prefer. Fruits are filled with nutrients and enzymes that can keep your brain active and they do not dehydrate your body like coffee. Apples have natural sugars and nutrients that can stabilize your brain and blood sugar.

Morning Workout

Fresh morning air is another way to stimulate your brain and therefore you can certainly go out for some morning walk or just a gentle stroll. It has been proved that morning walks can help you to reduce stress and provide you with a better mood and lower BMI which helps you to stay fit as well. There are many people that are out there early morning so you can be with them or join a group and you’ll never need a cup of coffee again.

Listen to Music

Music is in our blood, so let it help you get the right energy you need. If you are feeling tired and lethargic you can put on some great music that you prefer and you will find yourself dancing and grooving to those numbers. Many people listen to morning radio or they make their own playlist that they listen to before they head to office. You can also listen to your favorite music in your car or on your smartphone while you are commuting.

Have a Fix Schedule

We all have a biological clock ticking inside us, so use that to your advantage. You can make sure that you wake up at the same time every day and you will see that after few days or weeks your body has adjusted to it and you will no longer feel tired when you wake up at that time.

Did you know that your favorite Spa also makes their own face masks that they use to their customers? So, what you are getting is actually a homemade face mask, which is something you can also do for yourself.

Face masks are easy to make and most often than not, most of them does not require a lot of ingredients. So why get the same thing and pay more, if you can do your own face mask for home and enjoy a fresh, rejuvenated and clear skin without the pricey spa treatment?

To give you some tips on how to make really nice face masks, here are some face mask recipes that you might want to try, depending on the needs of your skin.

For Oily Skin

Oily skin can lead to more serious skin problems. This is because oil on the skin can catch more dirt that can cause bacteria build up, which will eventually lead to acne. So to prevent this, here’s a simple facial mask for oily skin that you can prepare at home.

Ingredients:

– 2 tablespoons of Honey

– 2 tablespoons of oatmeal

– 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Preparation:

Combine all three ingredients together, and achieve a paste like consistency. This amount is enough for one wash. Before washing your face with this mask, make sure that you wash your face with lukewarm water in order to open up the pores. Dry your face and gently apply the face mask on the entire face, but make sure to avoid the eye area.

For best results, let the facial mask sit on your skin for 10 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water again.

For Acne

One of the main reasons why people go for Spas is to get rid of the most common skin problem, which is acne. If your skin is troubled with acne, here is a very effective facial mask that you can use.

Ingredients:

– Oatmeal

– Honey

Preparation:

Oatmeal is a well known ingredient in making beauty products for the skin because of its natural way of exfoliating the skin without leaving it dry and rough. Honey on the other hand is a natural antibacterial that can kill bacteria causing acne. Mix a small amount of oatmeal into several tablespoons of honey.

Wash your face before applying the facial mask, and let it sit for a few minutes. Dry your skin and make sure to use a soft towel to prevent tiny scratches on your skin’s surface.

These two facial masks are always in demand in most spas. One treatment of a facial mask can be very expensive, so knowing how to make them at home will really help you save more.

Apply the facial mask at least twice a week, and see the difference it can give to your skin. Pampering yourself this way is going to be more enjoyable, because you are actually getting more facial mask treatments without having to spend more.

Our body needs some essential foods and nutrients to remain healthy and full of energy as well as keep up those immunity levels. The truth is that the fast paced lives that we are all leading today, we do not pay much attention to what goes in our mouth or enters our body system. We take a bite into whatever we can lay hands on. The result is that those years of neglect and poor eating habits take a toll on our body.Well, healthy eating need not be such a difficult task and all you need to do is focus on those essential foods that you must include in your daily diet. Here are some of those essential foods.

Oatmeal
An oatmeal breakfast is the right way to start your day. That delicious and mushy grain can give you a healthy lifestyle change and is easy to have too. You get a burst of energy that keeps you going till the end of the day. Oatmeal is loaded with soluble kind fiber and can lower down your cholesterol and triglyceride levels too. Have it hot, or cold, with milk, fruit, yoghurt, etc.

Milk
We always scoffed when told to gulp down that glass of milk by our mothers. Little do we know that this is one of the top quality sources of whole food protein as well as prevents our bones from developing osteoporosis and becoming weak. This is a good source to get your calcium from. You can also include yogurt in your daily diet.

Fresh fruits and green vegetables
There is plenty of research done on vegetables and fruits and how they are good for our body and supply those essential vitamins and minerals. Healthy diets that are rich in vegetables fruits and vegetables minimize the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases and keep our immunity strong. Moreover, fruits and vegetables are very low in fat and calories. So, have loads of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Tomatoes
Don’t take those little red fruits for granted or ignore them, as they offer us a lot more power and are much more beneficial than we could ever imagine. The red pigments in Tomatoes contain a carotenoid, called lycopene that boosts up your immunity levels and also reduces the risk of cancers and heart attacks.

Fish
That smelly product of sea is one of the most beneficial foods around. It is looked upon as the brain food as it comes loaded with omega 3 fatty acids that are extremely good for our heart health. Omega 3 is known to lower triglyceride levels, cholesterol and treat conditions like illnesses, bipolar disorder, depression, etc.

No one can deny the benefit of deriving nutrients from eating fresh food. Therefore, apart from including the essential fords in our daily diet, make sure to get them fresh too. This way, you not only get abundance of nutrients and in the variety necessary, your body also benefits from their optimal function. So, take good care of your health and body.

Most school children eat more than half of their daily meal during school time. A great number of these children depend on the food they are served in schools as not just the main meal of the day but it is the only food they get on a regular basis. Many countries across the world from USA to Japan are focusing on renewed school breakfast and lunch programs by incorporating healthy eating habits with a view of addressing the widespread problem of obesity among school kids. These programs now have new caps on the number of calories per student food tray. This is accomplished in different ways like to include more vegetables, fruits and making the portions smaller. In Wisconsin, USA the attempt to cut down on the portions made the kids so unhappy they decided to boycott the school lunches altogether.

School meals addressing many health concerns

Despite the scorn from kids every effort made on a national level to improve child nutrition through healthy school meals are making their benefits felt. In the USA this is very evident in some of the states with high obesity rates among children including Mississippi, California, Los Angeles and San Francisco. All states effectively arrange for school children to be served with low calorie, high nutrient food and totally eliminated serving sugar sweetened beverages, especially in high schools.

If your child is suffering from obesity signs then it is high time to consider the food choices he or she has been making. Whether you are preparing a meal for school or the child is taking meals at the school cafeteria, it is imperative that you ensure they eat a balanced meal. Most parents are concerned about the food choices their kids make at home. In most cases they feel that what their children eat in school are beyond their control. However, as parents it is your duty to influence the food choices of your children and to guide them towards healthy eating habits both in and out of home.

What goes in to healthy school meals?

Most schools provide a healthy meal during lunch time for school children. Unfortunately these same schools have cafeterias providing calorie packed snack bars. A la carte menus are stuffed with tempting offers of french fries, chips, pizza, donuts and there are vending machines with sugar coated snacks, sodas and ices. If your child is among the National School Lunch Program which offers a ‘low cost free lunch’ with balanced nutrition it is your right to investigate the contents of these meals. According to a Physicians Committee of the medicine and a healthy school lunch campaign, some schools are still providing meals packed with loads of saturated fat and cholesterol.

As a rule of thumb a healthy school meal includes items rich in fiber and nutrients like vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. However, bearing in mind that these meals are intended for age groups that make very picky food choices the final presentation should be appetizing enough to nudge the kids in eating healthy and balanced meals during their school hours. A great number of schools that are successful in walking this tightrope situation have accomplished the goal of making school days healthier and happier for their children.

Are you aware of the fact that water makes up almost 70% of the Earth’s total surface and almost the same percentage of our body is water? This is clearly indicative of the fact that water bears a lot of significance in our life and in the existence of life on earth. In fact scientists have concluded that it is in fact water that gave birth to life on this planet and what differentiates us from the rest of the planetary bodies.

In our body, water is required for the ideal functioning of each of our organs. Brain, heart, kidneys, liver and our skin are only few of the essential organs that depend upon good fluid intake for prime performance. The intestines and lining of the ENT canals depend upon water to remain moist and hydrated in order to prevent conditions that occur due to dryness like sneezing, cough and even digestive disorders.

After establishing the significance of water, we come to our next most important question – How much water should we drink daily in order to keep up with the optimum level of this life-giving liquid in our body? If you want a straight and clear cut answer than the Institute of Medicine says that the average adult male needs to drink 13 cups or 3 litres of water or fluid that comes through other beverages daily and the average adult woman should drink no less than 9 cups or 2.2 litres of water or other fluids.

So whatever happened to the “You should drink eight glasses of water daily”? Don’t be perplexed; that general rule still exists and that is the minimal amount of water that each adult should be drinking each day. The amount of water mentioned by the Institute of Medicine is ideal amount. And besides, you cannot follow the rule of “one size fits all” here. Every person has different requirements depending upon a lot of factors. For one thing, no two adults are alike; their body weight, body mass, climatic circumstances, metabolic conditions, health situations, physical routine and dieting regime are most likely dissimilar and hence the amount of water each of them requires cannot be compared either.

Factors That Affect Amount of Water Intake

Although you should still complete the number of recommended glasses, no matter what kind of climate you live in, you generally need to drink even more if it is very hot and humid.

If you are on a higher altitude, the drop of temperature might compel you to urinate more than usual; that plus the heavy breathing can lose good amount of water, so drink up.

The amount of exercise you do and how much you sweat also affects water level; which is why you should replace that loss after drinking.

If you indulge in more than a regular bout of exercise then it is better to drink a sports drink as it replenishes the electrolyte loss.

Pregnant and feeding mothers need to drink more fluid than usual as their requirement increases during such periods.

As a general rule, your urine colour can be a guide to your hydration level; if you are satisfactorily hydrated, your urine will be of a very light colour. However, if you don’t take plenty of water it tends to become very dark in colour.

Pregnancy marks the birth of a new life; but with the child, a new woman is born as well. From a simple girl, she transforms into a woman who underwent major physical, mental and emotional changes. Pregnancy also lays the foundation for the baby’s life and health ahead, therefore it becomes imperative that she opts for a healthier lifestyle not only for herself but for her baby as well.

It is true that many pregnancies prove to be nothing but turbulent experiences in life, (with nausea, back aches, dizziness, heartburn and what not) and on top of all that there are concerns about the health of the baby and the fact that so many things have to be done before its arrival.

Remember this unique time of bonding is not going to return and you are always going to wonder later on if there was a way you could have enjoyed your pregnancy or done something that could have helped both of you. No matter what phase of pregnancy you are in right now, there is still lots that can be done. Follow these golden rules below to achieve a healthier lifestyle during pregnancy.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that when you are pregnant you should “eat for two”; while this is physically true, it doesn’t imply that you should spend time stuffing yourself with snacks and junk. As is true for every person in this world, avoid eating the junk or at least limit it to the craving pangs.

Treat yourself with a lot of nutritious food; more than helping the baby, it is going to help you prevent and make up for the major losses from your body that result during pregnancy. You must keep in mind that your baby is going to take from your reserves in order to fulfill his requirements therefore you should be more worried about yourself at this stage.

Women in some of the most poverty-stricken areas are able to deliver healthy and normal babies and this is the proof that your baby is currently not depending upon what goes in your tummy. That being said, it is also true that if you do keep up with a really nutritious diet, your baby is likely to have a strong immune system and will be born with a good birth weight.

Take care of your posture and keep up with the physical exercise routine. If you never worked out, now is the right time to get active. Pregnancy tends to loosen up the muscles and this could further decrease your strength and stamina which is much needed at the time to delivery. Consult your doctor, but as a general rule, the workout or exercise shouldn’t hurt, it should simply work out your various muscles.

As far as the concerns and fears are concerned, visit your doctor whenever anxiety is getting the best of you. She is going to help you calm down and answer all your fears. She is also going to guide you about things to avoid, like alcohol, drugs, steam baths and saunas. If you were in a habit of swallowing a pain killer every now and then, it’s time to stop.

No matter the odds, enjoy your pregnancy and most of all care for your health and that of your baby.